David Giulieri and Michael Svec, senior portfolio management directors and certified financial planners with the Chesapeake Capitol Group at Morgan Stanley, were guests on Nareit’s REIT Report podcast. In recognition of April as Financial Literacy Month, Giulieri and Svec touched on a range of topics relevant to novice and seasoned investors alike.

Both Giulieri and Svec emphasized the importance of staying calm and focused in today’s volatile market environment. “If you can stay disciplined during times like this, the odds of success skyrocket,” Giulieri said. Svec advised listeners to “have a plan, stick to it, and do your best to keep the emotion out of it.”

During the interview, Giulieri and Svec also addressed:

• key questions to ask a potential financial advisor
• how to balance the need to have funds available for key financial milestones, like buying a home or paying for college, with ensuring that you're also saving for retirement
• advice for anyone already on the investment path, with a 401K or other investment vehicle, who's tempted to look at their latest account statement right now
• whether this is potentially a good time to either begin investing in the markets or to put additional funds in
• what a balanced investment portfolio might look like and how REITs could fit into that